Digital monitoring and expert support extend MTBF to 16000 hours for critical hydrogen compressor

At an industrial gas facility, hydrogen is supplied to a refinery’s hydrocracker via a critical dry-running compressor. This essential equipment experienced failures in key components with unclear root causes. To determine the source of the failure, a temporary PROGNOST®-NT condition monitoring system was deployed under the existing service agreement. By providing real-time insights to our expert technical team, it enabled early detection of potential issues, rapid diagnostics and root cause analysis.

Together with a sealing element upgrade over the past few years the mean time between failures (MTBF) was doubled, exceeding all expectations. Encouraged by the outstanding results, the customer decided to integrate a permanent PROGNOST®-NT monitoring system at their sister hydrogen plant. To support an optimized maintenance strategy, our experts will conduct regular data assessments. The system also includes a SIL3 emergency shutdown function, providing safety for personnel and robust asset protection.

“The success of this project convinced us to invest in a permanent PROGNOST®-NT system for our sister plant, where it will monitor a 40‑year‑old, non‑Burckhardt compressor. This decision was strongly influenced by our excellent experience combining Burckhardt Compression’s high-quality data insights with deep OEM compressor knowledge. The system will be implemented as a complete turnkey solution under our long-term service agreement with Burckhardt Compression. This partnership has significantly strengthened our predictive maintenance capabilities across sites.”

What our customer says

• PROGNOST®-NT monitoring system
  The PROGNOST®-NT 360° digital condition monitoring solution was temporarily deployed to enable real-time monitoring of the dry-running compressor and to identify the primary source of the failures.
• Expert support and root cause analysis 
  Our OEM expert team and machine diagnostic specialists delivered actionable recommendations based on monitoring data. This enabled the customer to quickly identify and resolve issues - even remotely and during off-hours.
• Predictive maintenance
  By leveraging data-driven insights, maintenance activities were strategically scheduled in advance, effectively preventing unplanned shutdowns and ensuring continuous, reliable operation.
• Early failure detection
  The monitoring system identified issues at the earliest stage to mitigate the impact of critical failures, safeguarding personnel, the environment, and valuable assets.
• Design and material improvements
  Sealing elements were upgraded through the integration of the latest Redura® designs and the use of proprietary Persisto® 850 material. These enhancements effectively addressed  nown failure points, improving overall system reliability.